


Giving up doesn't always mean you are weak

by Two_Divided_by_Zero



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Is it really underage though, Joker makes smoking sexy, M/M, Phone drabble, Serious talks about stress, Tumblr Prompt, Underage Smoking, but i tried to write it, i have never smoked, yes - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-18
Updated: 2017-06-18
Packaged: 2018-11-15 18:45:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11236986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Two_Divided_by_Zero/pseuds/Two_Divided_by_Zero
Summary: Thousands of people stop smoking a day – by dying from it.Akira knows its a terrible habit, but keeping it a secret forever from his team isn't exactly an option anymore.





	Giving up doesn't always mean you are weak

**Author's Note:**

> Unbeta'd  
> Blah blah blah  
> Still accepting requests  
> Clearly, my writing is top quality stuff. Why are you all not lining up to make requests.  
> (That was sarcasm, I'm sorry I love you all)
> 
> FOR MY ANON ON TUMBLR WHO REQUESTED AKIRA SMOKING AND YUSUKE FINDING IT SEXY!

Now, Akira prided himself on many things. Despite the whole...well...he liked to consider himself a good person.

He had multiple jobs (some that paid more than others, Sojiro), he was pretty darn close to dethroning the top of their class.

Maybe his baseball skills were a little subpar and the ability to cram a bottomless amount of burger down his throat wasn't exactly going to win him any university recommendations. Still, he liked to view himself as a generally more responsible teenager than most.

There was, however...one vice. Not even that huge, the grand scheme of things. But…

“Joker?!”

Fox suddenly popping out from their latest safe room startled Joker enough to where he dropped the rest of his lit cigarette onto the carpet.

Fuck, if he didn't look a mess right then. Behold, the leader of the infamous Phantom Thieves, bent over to try and snub out the embers before the damn palace lit on fire.

(What would happen if that happened, actually? Would their target develops a crippling fear of fire? Would their cognition change, similar to having a treasure stolen? Wou-?)

A blue glove suddenly joined his, gently brushing the ash into the carpet fibers. Joker paused, observing as his companion calmly brushed away the remaining ash, stomped the butt and kicked it behind a gaudy vase nearby.

The two were silent for only a moment before Fox crossed his arms. “Am I correct in assuming this isn't exactly common knowledge?”

At the word _this,_ he gestured to the carpet, the vase, the everything, really.

“It…” Joker was gone, leaving Akira to fend for himself. “Sometimes…”

“I'm not here to judge, Joker,” Fox spoke, kind eyed even behind his mask. “I'm here to listen, if you'll have me.”

(In any other circumstance, **Joker** would have said he'd have him bent over the nearest side table. Joker had always been the suave, sexy side Akira knew he possessed, but couldn't channel at will.)

“Everyone is always _looking at me_ ” Joker began softly, “always. I'm the criminal, the delinquent. Even Sojiro checks to make sure I'm not secretly lifting coffee from the cafe.”

Fox snorted, but remained otherwise quiet.

“And then...there's all of you. You...you look at me as your leader. I make the calls that could get us caught, _get us killed_. I have three jobs and sell goods on what I'm pretty sure is the black market daily to make sure we're all safe. I…”

“Joker…”

“I can do all that and a sick part of me loves being relied on, but… sometimes, the smoking… it just quiets the doubts. I doubt you can understand and I don't doubt you think less of me-”

“You're allowed to need help. Never, **never** feel that you are any less of a glorious person in any of our eyes for that.”

Fox's calm insistence instantly stole the wind from his sails. He patted the pack of cigarettes hidden at his hip, praying for the heavy silence to end. When it became obvious Fox had no intention of speaking up, Joker straightened back to his full height to find himself currently being framed by their resident artist's fingers.

Odd… but he needed to address this to ensure there were no possible negative externalities of his smoking on the team.

“So, now that you know, are you going to give me the same song and dance about my health and an,early death? Not very responsible of your leader to openly engage in self destructive behavior, is it?”

“Well...no. But…”

“But…?”

“It actually…” and here, curiously enough, Fox flushed red down to his chest. _Curious…_.

When he didn't seem likely to elaborate, Akira pulled together his best facsimile of his Joker saunter and swaggered closer. “Actually....what?”

“Suits you.”

Oh, that was unexpected. “What makes you say that?”

“W-well” - god, that stutter was adorable - “in,the classic tales of gentleman thieves, they were always portrayed as being suave, cunning and possessing of a certain mystique.”

By now, Joker was fully back in control and well within Fox's personal space. He wondered… if he just pulled that zipper, how far did that blush go…? “Mhm, go on.”

Fox didn't flinch back even slightly, rather straightening up to meet Joker head on. _Fiesty_. “in the past, prior to the revelation that smoking is detrimental to one's health, it was seen as a rather ‘cool' thing to do. Throughout fashion, smokers have always held a sort of...rebellion that most find alluring.”

Up close, Joker could verify that Fox was red to the roots of his hair. Blue and red...what an interesting color scheme…. “And what do you think about it?”

That gave Fox pause before he nodded to himself. “I would agree that it is alluring, though I already find myself rather attracted to you as is. If it weren't for the fact that I'm sure your mouth tastes awful, I would likely attempt to instigate a make out session.”

To say that Joker did not see that coming was an understatement. All suavity lost, he actually stumbled while _standing perfectly still_. “...What just happened?”

Without missing a beat, “we were discussing how I find you attractive and wish to explore this attraction further when your mouth doesn't reek of chemicals.”

“... So if I brush my teeth…?”

Fox took a step backward, still just as flushed but now smirking. God, if the shadows could harness that power, it would be a critical hit on Joker's heart every time.

Rather than answer, Fox _sashayed_ back to the safe room, with every sway of his hips causing his tail to swish.

Damn if it wasn't one of the sexiest things Joker had ever seen.

A different high than the one from nicotine filled Joker's veins. Very well, if that's how Fox wanted to play, then consider the game started.

And if there was one thing Joker prided himself on, more than a darn good cup of coffee, it was always winning.

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, if you made it to the end, thank you. I hope my requester enjoyed, I hope my readers enjoyed.
> 
> Comments and kudos really, truly mean so much.
> 
> Anyone who has seen my Tumblr knows I'm going through some shit, so writing is the one thing keeping me going. So thank you for reading, PLEASE SEND REQUESTS, and thank you all for taking the time to read!


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